In “The Literature of the Middle East and South Asia,” Laura Winkiel writes: “These stories help us to understand the complex questions that Middle Easterners and South Asian people ask as they stand at a crossroads of cultural and religious change.” Explain how this statement applies to one of the selections you read. Be sure to include the title of the selection and explain the crossroads that it illustrates.
In the selection "The Pigeon and the Crow" by Saadi, the protagonist is faced with a crossroads of cultural and religious change. The protagonist is a young man who is torn between his religious beliefs and his desire to pursue a romantic relationship with a woman. He is presented with a dilemma: should he follow his heart and pursue the woman, or should he remain faithful to his religion and reject her? This crossroads of cultural and religious change is illustrated in the story as the protagonist struggles to reconcile his faith with his feelings. The story helps us to understand the complex questions that Middle Easterners and South Asian people ask as they stand at a crossroads of cultural and religious change.
